Great Idea (a McRoll in the REAL World story)
by sammy1026
Summary: The backyard camping trip begins.
1. Chapter 1

_Mari & Ilna—You guys are 1000 different kinds of awesome. Thanks for all the offers to help this week. You are both the best._

 _REAL Worlders—Thanks for all the support and enthusiasm. Every review, email, tweet, Tumblr comment and DM is appreciated. You help make every minute of this ride a pleasure._

* * *

 **In honor of Steve and Catherine's first anniversary we're going to be posting not one but two BONUS stories this weekend. Today is part 1 of the camping story, tomorrow will be part 2, then Sunday will be an anniversary day story. (SPOILER ALERT we're saving the big early year marathon for Niblet's arrival)**

 **Great Idea (1/2)**

Danny, Grace and Scout got to the beach house early Saturday morning and found the Allen kids, along with Jadon, sitting on the deck, anxiously awaiting their arrival. As soon as Jacob spotted the trio coming around the side of the house he jumped out of his seat and pumped his fist.

"Uncle Danny is here!"

"Let the camping begin!" Kaitlyn added excitedly.

Dylan hopped up and began picking up items from the supplies piled on the edge of the deck. "Let's get started!"

Jenna smiled as she and Catherine emerged from the house carrying a load of extra pillows and blankets. "As you can tell they've been a little eager for you to get here," she told Danny.

"I'm not exactly sure why they were waiting for me," he snorted. "If I'm the one who's supposed to be driving this train we're in for a very long weekend."

"Don't sell yourself short," Catherine said as she placed a stack of pillows next to the pile of sleeping bags the Allen kids had carried from the car. "You're gonna do great."

"You're better at this than you think," Grace agreed. "You just need a little more practice."

Danny pinned Catherine with a mock glare. "Your husband is gonna pay."

He couldn't help but notice that even a year after the wedding hearing Steve referred to as her husband still brought a smile to Catherine's face.

"First, we have to decide where we're going to build the campfire," Dylan plowed forward, anxious to get started. "We won't know where to put the tents until we decide where the fire is gonna be."

Even though he was about to embark on a weekend filled with one of his least favorite activities Danny had to admit he was impressed with how seriously Dylan took the matter of camp safety. "Where would you recommend?" he asked the middle Allen boy.

Dylan pointed to a spot close to the water. "Uncle Steve said we should use the portable fire pit in the garage this weekend just to be extra safe," he explained. "But we still need to clean up any debris in the surrounding area and also have a shovel nearby in case there's an emergency so we can cover the fire with sand and put it out."

"Me and Jadon will grab the fire pit and carry it down to the beach for you," Cody offered.

"Jadon and I." Jacob grinned.

Jadon held out his hand and Jacob gave him a leaping high five. "You better be careful, Codeman. The student is surpassing the master."

Cody rolled his eyes and headed for the garage.

"Grace, could you and Casey please take one of the loungers down to the beach?" Catherine asked. "We'll put it in the girls tent for me. I'm afraid if I sleep on the ground it might take me," she rubbed her tummy with a smile, "us rather, half the morning to get up."

Danny looked at her with confusion. "You're sleeping in the tent?"

"Of course I'm sleeping in the tent," she replied. "You didn't think I was gonna miss all the fun, did you?"

"Why in the world … you have a perfectly comfortable bed … you know what? Never mind," he huffed. "I don't even know why I'm surprised."

"To be honest, I don't either." Catherine smirked.

"Ok then, let's get this adventure started." Jenna's upbeat call to action had the rest of the kids scrambling to their feet. "We need to move all this gear down to the beach and get those tents set up."

"YAY!" Jacob picked up an armload of equipment, stepped off the deck and almost immediately got his feet tangled and ended up in a heap on the grass. "I'm ok!" he said as he scrambled to his feet.

Jenna shook her head as she and Danny each picked up a carrying case containing a large, multi-person tent. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" she asked.

He sighed deeply. "Not even close."

* * *

Cody and Jadon placed the fire pit at the designated spot then watched as Dylan carefully walked off the safety perimeter and began scanning the ground for any loose debris that could be a hazard. Once he was satisfied the area was safe the tent assembling began.

As the kids removed the canvas pieces and poles from their carrier bags Danny stood facing them, hands on hips.

"Before we go any further I just want to remind you all AGAIN that there is a perfectly good house RIGHT THERE." He pointed over his shoulder. "Why is it we're sleeping outside again?"

"We're camping, Uncle Danny," Kaitlyn said in her best 'grown-ups are silly' voice. "You can't camp in the house."

"Are you sure about that?" He squatted down to her eye level. "I seem to remember a pretty impressive blanket fort."

Kaitlyn reached out her small hand and patted his shoulder. "That's not the same." Danny couldn't help but smile softly at the earnest look on the young girl's face as she spoke again. "You're gonna do good at this. I know you are."

Catherine pulled her phone out of her pocket and snapped a picture of the sweet moment.

"Just do your best," Jacob added. "That's what Mom always says."

"C'mon, Danno." Grace nudged her father playfully, "This is gonna be fun."

"I feel like I'm the lone voice of sanity around here." Danny sighed. "But since I'm outvoted, let's get these tents up."

* * *

"I hope we're not too late," Carrie said as she and John made their way towards the beach. "My morning meeting ran long."

"Your timing is perfect." Catherine smiled. "We just got the tents up. Stow your gear then help Jenna and I get lunch started."

"We're gonna play horseshoes," Jacob said excitedly to John. "You wanna play?"

"I sure do." John smiled, immediately caught up in the young boy's enthusiasm.

"Be careful," Jenna reminded her youngest.

"I will!" Jacob promised.

As the crew of horseshoe players headed up the beach Catherine heard Cody clear his throat behind her.

"Catherine, could I talk to you for a minute?" he asked as Jadon finished carefully placing plastic over the plants just off the deck.

"Sure, what do you need?"

Cody's face was serious. "I was reading the back of the cans of the stain and sealer we're gonna use on the deck."

"Is there a problem?" she asked.

"It says the fumes can be dangerous for pregnant women. I know we're using it outside and that makes a difference but still," he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, "I just thought if you could stay as far away as possible that would be good. Just to be safe."

Catherine smiled.

In that moment he reminded her so much of Steve.

"I'll do that. Thanks, Cody."

"The wind is blowing in that direction." He indicated left to right. "So I figure if you have to go in the house to use the bathroom you should go around that side of the house," he pointed left, "to get to the front door."

"Sounds like an excellent plan." She nodded.

"Good." He smiled. "Or if you need something you could just let me know and I'll get it for you."

"That's very thoughtful." Catherine smiled. "Thanks for looking out for me. And for Niblet."

"You're welcome." He blushed slightly. "Ok then, we're gonna get started."

"Let me know if you need anything."

"Will do," he called over his shoulder as he jogged towards the deck.

"Who does he remind you of?" Carrie grinned as she opened one of the coolers.

"Steve." Catherine beamed at her best friend. "More and more every day."

"It's so adorable he was reading the cans and then mapping out your path to the bathroom."

"Don't let him hear you call him adorable." Jenna chuckled. "He hates that."

"Like I said." Catherine grinned. "More and more every day."

* * *

"We're not eating any of the fish though, right?" Kaitlyn asked for the third time. She trusted Dylan's assurances but she just wanted to be extra sure.

"We'll name them and throw them back," Dylan promised.

"I made a big bowl of Nonna's pasta salad for dinner and we're gonna cook chicken and hot dogs over the campfire," Catherine said as a way of reassuring Kaitlyn dinner was covered.

"Yum," Kaitlyn said happily.

"How long do you think it's gonna be until she starts equating the chicken we're having for dinner with real live chickens?" Carrie asked as she and Jenna double checked to make sure all the smaller kids were wearing floaties.

"Probably not long." Jenna acknowledged. "But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Twenty minutes later they were all spread out along the shore, lines in the water, hoping for a bite.

"Uncle Steve said he used to catch lots of fish here when he was younger," Dylan reported. As if on cue there was a tug on his line. "I think I caught something!" he squealed excitedly.

Five minutes later John was helping him take a nice sized blue striped snapper off the hook.

"She's pretty," Kaitlyn said in a sing-song voice.

"How do you know it's a girl?" Dylan asked.

"I just do."

Catherine pulled out her camera. "Let's get a picture for Uncle Steve."

Dylan smiled proudly as he held up the fish. Once Catherine nodded that she had a good shot he turned to his sister. "What's her name?"

Kaitlyn thought for a few seconds. "Cassandra. There was girl in the story we read at school with that name and she had a pretty blue dress."

"Ok then, Cassandra it is." John smiled. "Tell her goodbye."

As all the kids called out their goodbyes John waded into the shallow surf and carefully placed the fish back in the water.

A few minutes later Casey caught a small reddish fish which Kaitlyn immediately dubbed Clyde. Casey waved off the offers of help from the adults and removed the fish from the line herself then placed it back in the ocean.

After repeating a similar process several more times when Jacob, Kaitlyn and Grace each reeled in a catch they all decided to stow the fishing gear and take a swim before dinner. As they pulled in their lines Danny felt a tug.

"I think I caught something," he said, his voice tinged with disbelief.

A few seconds later a blue gray fish with a noticeable horn in the middle of its forehead emerged from the water.

"Cool," Dylan said enthusiastically. "You caught a unicorn fish. We learned about those in school."

Kaitlyn's mouth dropped open in wonder. "You caught a unicorn?" she asked in a voice barely above a whisper. "Is it magical?"

"A unicorn fish," Dylan corrected. "It's called that because of the horn."

Kaitlyn reached out and gently petted the fish. "Her name is Sparkle."

"Ok, Sparkle." Danny smiled. "Time to go for a swim."

At that moment he realized he had never taken a fish off the hook before.

He looked at John, who was helping Jacob, then back at Kaitlyn.

"You can do it," she assured him confidently.

It was at that moment that Danny remembered the real magic was the look in the eye of a young girl who believed you could do anything. He carefully reached his fingers inside Sparkle's mouth, gently removed the hook, then placed Sparkle back in the water which earned him an impromptu hug from Kaitlyn.

* * *

Cody and Jadon finished the deck just in time to get cleaned up and join everyone on the beach for dinner.

"I worked up more of an appetite than I expected," Jadon said as he helped himself to more pasta salad. "That was a lot harder than my job under the big gold arches."

"You boys did a great job," Catherine said sincerely.

Once the sealer started to dry and the fumes dissipated she'd been allowed to get close enough to the deck to inspect the final product.

"You should both be very proud." She smiled.

"If it's ok I'm gonna have my mama take a look when she comes to pick me up," Jadon said.

"What do you mean when she comes to pick you up?" Danny asked. "You're not staying?"

"Actually, Cody and me made plans to do the deck before the whole camping thing came up. I wasn't sure if I was included in that particular venture."

"You're always welcome," Catherine assured him. "You know that."

"And if I have to stay, All Day J, you do, too," Danny said adamantly. "Call your mom and tell her I'll bring you home tomorrow night after this whole thing is over."

Jadon's face broke into a wide smile. "Are you saying you want me around, D-Dawg?"

"I'm saying," Danny grinned, "that misery loves company."

* * *

After a game of flashlight tag in the fading light, a bedtime snack of freshly made smores and a recitation of some spooky but not quite scary stories that Jenna had approved as being suitable for the younger kids it was time for bed.

"I'm gonna get a bucket of water to put on the fire just to be safe," Dylan said as he grabbed a pail and headed for the ocean.

"Good thinking," Danny said.

"He takes this stuff very seriously," John said to Jenna. "I think that's great."

Jenna smiled. "It's _very_ important to him that Uncle Steve thinks he did a good job."

"He will." Catherine nodded confidently.

"Will you sleep beside me, Uncle Danny?" Jacob asked.

"Me, too," Dylan called as he carefully extinguished the fire.

"Don't forget Cammie and Scout are in the boy's tent," Catherine grinned. "They'll let me know if you try to sneak in the house and sleep."

"Don't give me any ideas." Danny smirked.

"Can we stay up for a little bit on our tent and play a game, Mom? Pleeeeease?" Jacob begged.

"If it's ok with Uncle Danny," Jenna agreed.

Jacob turned his wide eyes on Danny. "Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?"

"Sure," Danny exhaled loudly. "Why not?"

Jacob thrust his arms in the air. "Concentration!"

"I could have guessed that," Cody chuckled. "He wins every time."

"Camping this weekend was a great idea," Dylan said happily.

Danny snorted. "Remind me to thank Uncle Steve."

 **TBC tomorrow on BONUS Saturday**.

* * *

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	2. Chapter 2

AN's in chapter 1

* * *

 **Great Idea (2/2)**

Dylan made his way out of the tent with bleary eyes and hair pointing in a dozen different directions and found Danny sitting on a cooler drinking from a bottle of water.

"Morning," he said with a gravelly voice.

"Morning." Danny returned the greeting. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I wanted to get the fire started so it'll be plenty hot when we're ready to cook breakfast," Dylan replied matter-of-factly.

"Good thinking." Danny nodded. "You're doing a great job handling the fire and making sure everyone stays safe."

Dylan smiled crookedly as he picked up several pieces of firewood that he'd stacked the day before, careful to keep it a safe distance from the fire. He crossed the beach and laid the small logs beside the fire pit before making a second trip for kindling. Within a few minutes he had all the wood assembled.

As he returned to the area just outside the tents where Danny was seated he saw Catherine emerging from the girl's tent.

"Morning." She said softly, trying not to wake the others.

"Morning," Dylan replied in kind.

"I thought maybe you'd sleep in a little," Danny said.

"I was thinking about it but Niblet had other ideas." Catherine smiled. "So I gotta go … you know," she said then hurried off towards the house to use the bathroom.

Dylan reached into his go bag and removed a small, waterproof box. "Uncle Steve said to never take the matches out until you're ready to use them."

"That's very smart. I'll be sure to tell him how well you handled the fire this weekend," Danny promised.

Dylan's tired eyes lit up immediately. "Thanks."

* * *

Just as they finished cleaning up after breakfast, Chin and Kono came around the side of the house carrying kayaks.

"Cool!" Dylan ran to Chin's side. "This is awesome. I've been wanting to try one of these."

"I know." Chin smiled. "And since the water is supposed to be calm all day I decided this would be the perfect time."

"There are a few more on the trailer out front," Kono called to Casey, Cody, Grace, and Jadon. "Can you guys run out and grab them, please?"

"Where did you get them all?" Dylan asked, slightly awed.

"We borrowed them from a cousin," Chin answered. "We also borrowed these," he said as he removed a duffle bag from his shoulder. "Life jackets. No one gets anywhere near a kayak until they're wearing one."

Dylan opened the duffel bag and began sorting the life jackets into two piles-child sized and adult sized.

"Look, Mom," he said excitedly as Jenna approached. "Kayaks."

"I see that." Jenna nodded.

"And life jackets so it'll be safe in case we turn over," he continued, holding one up for her to see.

"We can turn over?!" Jacob asked with barely masked glee. "Awesome!"

"The idea is to not turn over," Jenna instructed her youngest. "Maybe you should just watch today," she said unsurely.

Chin pointed to one of the two person kayaks Cody and Jadon were carrying. "Jacob can go in one of the tandems with an adult."

"You think of everything," Jenna said with a sigh of relief.

"Are you gonna go kayaking, Aunt Catherine?" Kaitlyn asked.

"I'm afraid I might get stuck if I try." Catherine chuckled. "It might be better if I just watch from the beach.

"I'll keep you company," Carrie said. "My plans for today involve the minimum amount of physical exertion possible."

"Same here," John agreed.

"I don't think I can go by myself." Kaitlyn bit her lip nervously.

Jenna was just about to offer to accompany her younger daughter when Casey spoke up. "You can come with me, Kaitlyn."

"Really?" Kaitlyn squealed, ecstatic at the thought of being included by her big sister.

"Sure." Casey smiled. "We gotta show those boys how we do it."

Jenna smiled as Kaitlyn ran to Casey's side and began inspecting the kayak up close.

After making sure everyone's life jacket fit properly Chin assembled the troops at the shoreline for a quick lesson in how to operate a kayak and what to do in the case of a rollover. As soon as he felt certain everyone understood, they hit the water.

Casey proved to be a natural and in very short order she helped Kaitlyn master the required oar strokes and they began moving quickly through the water, careful not to get too far from the shore.

"This is fun!" Kaitlyn giggled as a spray of water hit her face.

"Let's practice for a few more minutes," Casey suggested, "then we can challenge Mom to a race."

Dylan, who had pleaded to try a solo kayak, had a bit of trouble initially figuring out how to steer but he stayed calm, listened to the directions Chin shouted his way, and in very short order was maneuvering the boat with a high degree of skill for a beginner.

"Can I get a kayak for my birthday?" he asked as he pulled up beside Jenna.

"We'll see," she replied as she reached out and ruffled his hair.

About twenty feet away, "Like this?" Jacob asked as he chopped at the water with his oar.

"Not exactly." Chin chuckled as he put down his own oar and reached forward to help the young boy.

"Thanks for bringing these, Uncle Chin. This is super fun," Jacob bubbled as he raised his oar and nearly hit himself in the head.

"You're welcome." Chin grinned, guiding the oar back towards the water. "I'm glad you're enjoying it."

"I think mine is broken, D-Dawg," Jadon said as he turned in yet another circle.

"I don't know." Danny chuckled. "I think it might be more operator error than equipment failure."

"Neither one of you has moved more than a few feet," Cody observed as he glided up beside Danny. "Do you need some help?"

"We're fine." Danny tried to look nonchalant. "We're just observing for a while."

"That's right," Jadon agreed. "We're just gettin' the lay of the land."

"If you say so." Cody snorted as he turned and paddled away.

Kono spent about fifteen minutes helping Grace feel comfortable in the kayak then the two of them moved a little further out and began a series of 200 yard races.

"You got a lot closer that time," Kono said as she turned her kayak to face Grace. "You're doing great. With a little practice you'll be able to beat me."

"I think it would take more than a little practice." Grace grinned. "But thanks."

They were having so much fun in the kayaks they were shocked when Catherine called from the shore and announced it was time for lunch.

* * *

After they finished eating Cody, Jadon, Grace and Casey loaded the kayaks back on Chin's borrowed trailer while Chin, Danny and John and Dylan took down the tents, stowed them carefully in their storage bags and returned them to the garage. Jenna, Catherine and the younger kids carried all the pillows, blankets and utensils back to the house to be washed and put away while Carrie and Kono returned the lounger to its place on the deck.

"Are you sure we can't stay and help you get some of this stuff washed and put away?" Jenna asked as they made their way back outside. "I feel like we're leaving you with a lot of work."

"Not at all." Catherine waved her off. "It'll give me something to do this week while I'm waiting for Steve to get back. You need to get the kids home and organized for school tomorrow."

"I can stay and help," Carrie offered.

"No way." Catherine was adamant. "I know you and John both have early duty tomorrow. I'll be fine. I promise."

"Everything is in its place in the garage," Danny reported as he joined them. "Except for the fire pit which Dylan thinks needs to cool for a few more hours before it'll be safe to put away. It's too heavy for you to carry in your current condition though."

"No problem." Catherine nodded. "I'll leave it for Steve to take care of when he gets home next weekend. It won't hurt anything sitting on the beach until then."

The rest of the crew finished their respective clean up tasks and eventually everyone gathered on the deck.

"This was really fun." Dylan couldn't wipe the wide smile off his face. "Thanks, Aunt Catherine. And Uncle Danny. And Mom. And Uncle Chin." He began to laugh. "Thanks, EVERYBODY!"

The adults couldn't help but smile at his exuberance and sincere appreciation.

"Did you have fun, Uncle Danny?" Kaitlyn asked with wide eyes. "Will you go with us next time when we camp in the woods? I like it when you help me fish."

A sarcastic reply died on his lips when he saw the hopeful look on her face.

"I'll be there," he sighed with a resigned smile as he squeezed her shoulder.

* * *

Catherine had the dishwasher running and the first load of extra blankets in the washer when she decided to take a short break and put her sore feet up. Two days of walking on sand had done nothing to relieve the nearly ever present swelling in her ankles and feet.

She had barely gotten comfortable in the lounger when Cammie alerted towards the side of the house.

"What's wrong, girl?" Catherine asked but before she could get to her feet to investigate a person rounded the house and stepped onto the deck.

Catherine couldn't believe her eyes and wondered momentarily if she'd fallen asleep and was dreaming.

"Steve!" she squealed. "What are you doing here?"

"Surprise," he said, eyes alight and crooked grin in place, "Happy anniversary!"

She scrambled to her feet, swollen ankles forgotten, and found herself wrapped in his arms immediately.

"You didn't go UA, did you?" she teased.

"No," he growled as he peppered her face with kisses. "Morris found out it was our anniversary and told me if I beat all the young guys in today's drills I could get a 12-hour liberty to come home and celebrate."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Didn't he know you would have been trying to beat them anyway?"

"Extra incentive I guess." He smirked. "But now I have twelve hours alone with you and I don't want to spend it talking about reserve drills. How was camping?"

"Fun." She leaned in and kissed him passionately on the lips then made her way up his jawline until she reached his ear. As she bit down lightly on the lobe his body reacted.

"If we only have twelve hours let's not waste it talking about camping either," she purred. "I'm sure the kids will fill you in on all the details."

"Later," he panted. "Much later." His hands slid under her tank top and as they glided across her torso and he realized she wasn't wearing a bra he moaned appreciatively.

"It was getting tight," she whispered. "Like my shoes."

"Can't have that," he growled as he pushed her shirt higher and dipped his head to kiss her swollen breasts.

"Steve."

Her voice did nothing to stop him as he continued on his mission.

"Steve!" she said somewhat louder.

"Hmm?" he said as his lips made contact with her collarbone.

"Maybe we should take this inside before we give the neighbors a show."

* * *

"Are you hungry?" she asked sometime later as she sat on the edge of the bed and stretched languidly.

He leaned up and kissed the back of her shoulder. "Not if you keep doing that."

"There's some leftover pasta salad in the frig. Nonna's recipe," she tempted him.

"Carbo loading." He grinned. "Excellent idea. We won't even have to waste time cooking."

"Win win." She smirked as she stood up.

"Plus Dr. Kucher said you need 300 extra calories a day at this point in your pregnancy so pasta salad should fit the bill nicely."

"Speaking of Dr. Kucher," Catherine's voice trailed off as she looked around the room. "Where's my shirt? For that matter where's your shirt?"

"On the island in the kitchen I think." He grinned. "Or maybe the couch in the living room." He swung his legs over the side of the bed. "If it's neither of those places try the railing on the stairs about halfway up."

"I really missed you," she said saucily as she opened his drawer and pulled out two t-shirts. She put one on and tossed the other to him then repeated the process with two pairs of his boxers.

"You said speaking of Dr. Kucher," he prompted. "Everything's ok, right?"

"Everything's fine." She smiled. "We got a postcard from his office reminding us it's time to sign up for a prenatal class. I'll look around this week and try to find one that works for both of us."

"Sounds good." He crossed to her and pulled her into his arms. "Just let me know where and when and I'll be there." He walked her backward a few steps until they reached the dresser and began kissing his way down her neck.

"Steve ... " she sighed, "what about the pasta salad?"

"That's right," he said, forcing his lips away from her body. "Sustenance."

"Let's go." She chuckled.

He waggled his eyebrows. "I have a feeling in a few minutes I'm gonna be glad we decided on kitchen chairs without arms."

 **Stay tuned for another BONUS story tomorrow!**

* * *

 _If you are not on the REALMcRoll email list and would like to be, drop us an email at realmcroll at yahoo dot com with "Add me, please!" in the subject line. You'll get updates, contests, and fun McRoller games._

 _Looking for links to all the REAL World McRoll stories in one place? Check out our Tumblr page_

 _mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com._

 _In addition, one of our AWESOME REAL Worlders, katydid13, has created a community on here on fanfiction dot net that brings all of the REAL World stories, and all of Mari, Sammy & Ilna's pre-universe stories in __one place. You can find it at_

 _community/McRoll-in-the-Real-World_


End file.
